Consular information of the Embassy Washington
Consular districts
There are two consular districts in the USA. The Embassy in Washington is competent for all Federal States except Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It is also competent for District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica.
The Consulate General in Cleveland is competent for Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Consular fees
Consular fees have to be paid by Money Order payable to »The Embassy of Slovenia« (NO PERSONAL CHECKS, NO CARDS).
Consular Hours
We occasionally organize consular hours outside the embassy premises, in major cities in the USA.
During consular hours, Slovenian citizens can apply for updates of the civil registry (marriage, birth of a child, change of residence...), submit an application for personal documents or request other consular assistance. Slovenian citizens are encouraged to arrange access to eUPRAVA by applying for a digital certificate, which is obtainable completely free of charge.
In order to book an appointment during consular hours, please write to: consular.washington@gov.si.
Upcoming consular hours:
- New York, May 17, 2024
- San Francisco, June 2024
Please note that the consular fee must be paid with a Money Order addressed to “Embassy of Slovenia”. Cash, personal checks or credit cards will not be accepted during consular hours.
Passport
Application
A citizen may file a passport application with the diplomatic mission or consular post.
A passport application must be lodged by an adult citizen in person. A minor’s application must be submitted by his/her legal guardian. If the minor is over 8 years of age, he/she must be present in person.
The application shall be accompanied by:
- Old passport (if any, or a valid public document containing a photograph)
- Biometric photo of the prescribed size showing the right image and fulfilling the provided instructions.
Issue and validity
The passport is issued to an adult citizen with a period of validity of 10 years; for a citizen aged between three and 18 years with a validity of five years; and for a citizen who has not yet reached the age of three, with a validity of three years.
Passport validity and the corresponding consular fees:
- 10 years for adults from the age of 18 – EUR 115
- 5 years for children from 3 to 18 years – EUR 76
- 3 years for children under 3 years – EUR 57
- 1 year – EUR 47
The passport is personally served on the applicant or his/her legal representative.
Delivery for destruction
A citizen must deliver the passport to the competent authority for destruction within 30 days in the following cases:
- Changed personal data on the biographical page of the passport
- Changed permanent residence, whereby the entry of the change in the passport is no longer possible
- The photograph no longer shows a true image
- The photograph is damaged or worn out or no longer usable for any other reason
- Termination of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia
Entry of a change of address
A citizen must submit his/her passport to the competent authority to enter the change in the passport no later than 30 days after the change of address. The application must be accompanied by:
- A valid passport that still has a free section to allow entry of the new address
- Residence registration certificate for a new address
The entry of a change is exempt from fee.
Questionnaire and sending of passport by mail
When you are requesting an appointment for the passport application, please also attach a filled out questionnaire that enables us to check existing information in our records and determine if additional updates are necessary.
If you wish to receive the passport by mail, please provide a prepaid express envelope with tracking number (US Postal Service, UPS, Fedex, etc. - must have tracking number). Please note that Fedex labels must reflect the customer’s mailing address as both the sender and recipient. Also please submit the statement of permission to mail passport.
If the prepaid express envelope is not provided with the application, the passport must be collected in person at the Embassy.
Identity card
Application
A citizen may file an application for an identity card with the diplomatic mission or consular post.
An application for an identity card must be lodged by an adult citizen in person. In some cases, the consent of both parents is required. A minor’s application must be submitted by his/her legal guardian. If the minor is over 8 years of age, he/she must also be present in person.
The application must be accompanied by:
- The old identity card (if any, or a valid public document containing a photograph)
- A photograph of the prescribed size, showing the right image and fulfilling the provided instructions.
Issue and validity
An identity card with a validity of three years is issued to a national under three years of age. An identity card with a validity of five years is issued to a citizen aged between three and 18 years. An identity card with ten-year validity is issued to a citizen aged 18 to 70. After the age of 70, an identity card with permanent validity is issued.
Identity card validity and consular fee:
- 10 years for adults from 18 to 70 years – EUR 76
- 5 years for children from 3 to 18 years – EUR 60
- 3 years for children under 3 years – EUR 44
- Permanent identity card – EUR 76
The identity card must be personally served on the applicant or his/her legal representative.
Delivery for destruction
The citizen must deliver the identity card to the competent authority for destruction no later than 30 days in the following cases:
- Change of surname or name
- Change of permanent residence
- The photograph on the identity card no longer shows a true image
- The identity card is damaged or worn out or can no longer be used for any other reason
- Termination of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia
Declaration of a missing, lost or stolen passport or identity card
A citizen is obliged to report a missing, lost or stolen (hereinafter: missing) passport or identity card abroad immediately to the competent authorities in the Republic of Slovenia, at the diplomatic mission or consular post.
Procedure at the diplomatic mission or consular post
The missing document is first registered with the police or another competent institution and a certificate of declaration of the missing document is issued. The certificate must be submitted to the diplomatic mission or consular post, where the applicant needs to give a statement regarding the missing document. True information should be provided on the circumstances in which the document went missing, since the citizen is criminally and materially liable in the event of a false statement. On this basis, the diplomatic mission or consular post revokes the missing document.
Reporting a missing document is free of charge.
After reporting a missing document
The diplomatic mission or consular post may issue a passport for return with a validity of up to 30 days or for the time needed to return to the country where the citizen is registered as a resident or temporary resident.
The return passport is a temporary document intended only for the return to the place of residence. It does not allow you to continue your travels to the remaining countries of your destination. You should also inquire about additional visas to be obtained for such a document from the competent authorities of the country where you are staying or the countries through which you will be travelling.
Procedure
In order to obtain a passport for return, you need to submit the following:
- The original certificate of declaration of the missing document
- Photograph
- Consular fee in the amount of EUR 19
Residence
All information on the registration of permanent or temporary residence abroad, the issue of permanent residence certificates and the replacement of identification documents due to a change of address of permanent residence is available under the section Residence.
The registration of permanent or temporary residence abroad is free of charge.
Change of address by e-mail
In order to register your new address abroad please send the correct form below and a proof of your new address to the Embassy's email address.
Non-resident status for tax purposes
Information on regulating the status of a non-resident for tax purposes is available on the website of the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.
Civil registration (birth, marriage/partnership, death)
Citizens may request extracts from the central register of births, marriages and deaths or submit an application to record vital events (birth, marriage/partnership, death) at the diplomatic mission or consular post.
The diplomatic mission or consular post may accept requests for the issue of:
- Extract from the register of births – consular fee within the EU: EUR 19, outside the EU: EUR 26
- Extract from the register of marriages – consular fee within the EU: EUR 19, outside the EU: EUR 26
- Extract from the register of same-sex partnerships – consular fee within the EU: EUR 19, outside the EU: EUR 26
- Extract from the register of deaths – consular fee within the EU: EUR 19, outside the EU: EUR 26
- Nationality certificate – consular fee within the EU: EUR 19, outside the EU: EUR 26
- Single status certificate – consular fee within the EU: EUR 19, outside the EU: EUR 26
- Certificate of no impediment to marriage abroad – the consular fee is EUR 38
- Certificate of life – endorsement of the form is free of charge for Slovenian citizens; the consular fee for foreign citizens is EUR 13
- First change of personal name with a decision – the consular fee is EUR 55
Forms and sending by mail
Form to obtain certified copies of birth or marriage
Form to obtain certified copies of death
We strongly suggest you include with your application a prepaid express envelope with tracking number (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, Fedex etc.), if you wish to receive the certificate back by mail. Please note that all express mail air bill labels of Fedex must reflect the customer’s mailing address as both the sender and recipient. If the prepaid express envelope is not provided with the application, the certificates will be sent by USPS ordinary mail. The Embassy does not take the responsibility for a lost shipment.
Marriage registration
If you have married in the territory of the US, you are also obliged to register your marriage in the Slovenian Vital Records.
Documents to be submitted:
- Completed and signed application form;
- Marriage Certificate with an Apostille Seal and a translation to Slovenian language;
The Apostille seal has to be obtained from the competent authority, usually State Department Office in the State which issued the Marriage Certificate. Both Marriage Certificate and Apostille seal need to be translated to Slovenian language. The list of translators is available below. Please note that the marriage certificate remains in the records in Slovenia and cannot be returned. - Copy of passport of your spouse (should your spouse wish to use your surname after the marriage, he/she must change the surname in his/her country and submit a photocopy of the passport with the new surname);
- Statement of the name chosen after your marriage (if last name after marriage is not evident from the marriage certificate);
- Completed and signed permission to copy personal documents;
- Prepaid express courier envelope (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, Fedex, etc. - must have tracking number) to receive the Slovenian Marriage Certificate back by mail. Please note that all express mail air bill labels of Fedex must reflect the customer’s mailing address as both the sender and recipient. If the envelope is not submitted, the certificate will be sent back by ordinary USPS mail. The Embassy cannot guarantee the shipment will be delivered.
Please do not forget to enclose contact information form.
If you were married before and did not register your divorce in Slovenia, you need to submit a divorce decision, recognized by District Court in Slovenia. If you are widowed, you need to submit Death Certificate of the previous spouse, legalized with Apostille (if issued in the US) and translated into Slovenian.
Divorce registration
Registering divorce processed in the US Courts is divided into two phases:
Recognition of the foreign court decision – done by the District Court in Slovenia
This part of the procedure is done by the applicant.
For this procedure, you need:
- Request for Recognition of a Foreign Court Decision (should be obtained at the respective court);
- Final Divorce Decision (original) legalized with Apostille and translated into Slovenian by a court certified translator;
Applicants with decisions from US Courts usually encounter problems with providing the Certificate of Finality of the Decision, as the US courts do not issue such certificates.
The Court is willing to assist the applicants directly in determining the requirements for a specific procedure. - Fee;
The payment of the court fee is done on the basis of a Payment Order issued by the Court upon receipt of the Request for Recognition of a Foreign Court Decision. The Order includes the information on payments from abroad.
We recommend that the applicants authorize a representative for the service of documents in the Republic of Slovenia.
When procedure at the respective court is concluded, the court is willing to send the final Decision to the competent Administrative Unit, provided that the applicant submits a request to send the decision directly to the Administrative Unit. The request should contain the information on the competent Administrative Unit and a reference number.
Registration in the vital records in Slovenia – done by the Administrative Unit
For this procedure, you need:
- Recognized foreign Court Decision (the result of the procedure as indicated in section above);
- Statement of name after the divorce – to be done at the Embassy;
Statement indicating the applicant wishes to change his/her married name back to maiden name may be done within 12 months after the divorce becomes final, provided that the applicant had changed his/her last name when he/she got married (not via the standard name change procedure). After 12-month period the name change has to go through the standard name change procedure.
The Embassy sends the statement to the competent Administrative Unit with notice that the recognized foreign court decision will be submitted upon completion of the court procedure.
You will receive the reference number to be included in the request from the Embassy.
Citizenship
Information on the acquisition of, release from, and renunciation of, Slovenian citizenship is available under the topic Citizenship.
At diplomatic missions or consular posts, you may submit appropriate applications to be forwarded to administrative units or to the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia.
Fees:
- Registration of citizenship: EUR 13
- Admission to and release from citizenship: EUR 354
- Declaratory decision on citizenship or renunciation EUR 181
Registration of a child (under the age of 18)
A child born in a foreign country to a parent who is a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia at the time of the child’s birth, obtains citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by origin, this child has to be registered by the age of 18.
PLEASE NOTE: Parents' marriage and other status changes (address, name change, etc.) must be registered with Slovenian Authorities prior to the submission of the citizenship application.
IF BOTH PARENTS ARE SLOVENIAN CITIZENS, please use the form for persons under the age of 18 or the form for persons above the age of 18.
Documents to be submitted:
- Completed and signed application form, must be filled out and signed by the parent, who is a Slovenian citizen. If child's age is between 14 and 18 please fill this form (Child's signature is required).
- Child's Birth Certificate with an Apostille Seal and a translation to Slovenian language. The Apostille seal has to be obtained from the local State Department Office in the State which issued the Birth Certificate.
- Completed form for Registration of Permanent Address
- Completed form for Registration to the Electoral Roll (Please note: the child is registered into the Electoral Roll AT BIRTH/REGISTRATION OF BIRTH)
- Completed and signed permission to copy personal documents
- Prepaid express courier envelope (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, etc.; must have tracking number) addressed to your address to receive the Slovenian Birth Certificate back by mail.
- Please, do not forget to enclose a cover letter with your contact information, stating what you are applying for, and a complete list of enclosed documents.
Registration of an adult (age 18 to 36)
A child born in a foreign country to one parent who is a citizen of the Republic of Slovenia at the time of the child’s birth, with the other being a foreign citizen, and who was not registered for citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by his parents before the age of 18, acquires citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia by origin, if he/she registers for citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia prior to reaching the age of 36 years.
Documents to be submitted:
- Completed and signed application form
- Birth Certificate with an Apostille Seal and a translation to Slovenian language. The Apostille seal has to be obtained from the local State Department Office in the State which issued the Birth Certificate.
- Consular fee for registration
- Completed form for Registration of Permanent Address
- Completed form for Registration to the Electoral Roll
- Completed and signed permission to copy personal documents
- Prepaid express courier envelope (i.e. US Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, etc.; must have tracking number) addressed to your address to receive the Slovenian Birth Certificate back by mail.
Extraordinary naturalization (Article 13 of Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act)
Individuals of Slovenian descent (up to the second generation in direct descent), who cannot register to citizenship (are older than 36 or none of the parents is a registered Slovenian Citizen), may apply for Slovenian citizenship according to the provisions of Article 13 of Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act.
The provision of Article 13 of the Citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia Act allows for the granting of citizenship of the Republic of Slovenia to persons if it is in the interest of the country due to scientific, economic, cultural, national or other similar reasons. The existence of circumstances that justify the reasons for this kind of citizenship being granted is established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of the opinion of the competent authority.
In the procedure, the applicant must demonstrate:
- Slovenian descent (up to the second generation in direct descent)
- a multiannual active connection with the Republic of Slovenia;
- and at least 5 years of activity in Slovenian associations, schools of Slovene language or Slovenian expatriate, emigrant or minority organizations.
- Exceptions from above mentioned criteria can only be granted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.
Documents to be submitted are listed in the application form:
- Completed application form; must be filled and signed by the applicant himself. The list of required documents to be submitted is contained in the application.
- FBI criminal history search - U.S. citizen can apply directly to the FBI for a criminal history search. The first step is to download the FD-258 fingerprint card and application form from the FBI website.
- Completed and signed permission to copy personal documents
All documents must be filed in Slovenian.
Please note that the Embassy does not offer translation services! Consular section only authenticates the translation provided by the applicant (confirms that the translation corresponds to the original text). Translations using Google Translate are not adequate!
To request the authentication, please submit a Request for authentication and pay a Consular fee. For translator info please contact us at consular.washington@gov.si (Slovenian Embassy does not guarantee the quality of the translation).
Please, do not forget to enclose a cover letter with your contact information, stating what you are applying for and a complete list of enclosed documents.
Additional clarifications:
US documents must be accompanied with an Apostille Seal. United States of America is a member of The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. First you should obtain the original document by the appropriate US authority (example: Vital records for Birth and Marriage certificates and local FBI office for FBI no criminal record certificate) and then verify with the responsible authority (usually local State Department Office) on the procedure of obtaining the Apostille seal.
Slovenian documents are officially recognized without an authentication, and no additional certification is needed. For official Slovenian documents, copies will be accepted.
As the citizenship application according to the provisions of Article 13 can be time consuming and as all the documents are required to be translated to Slovenian, we do strongly recommend having a legal representative in Slovenia (family member, friend, legal advisor). With a power of attorney, the person can file the application on your behalf. In this case, you do not need to file the application with the Slovenian Embassy as we do not process applications. Also, administrative fees are different (lower, as no postage and additional cost are necessary), and to be verified with Administrative Units in Slovenia by your representative.
If you decide to file your application at the Embassy, please contact us by e-mail: consular.washington@gov.si prior to sending the application to make sure you have all the documents.
Certifications
- Certification of Documents in International Traffic Act (in Slovene only)
- Rules on the certification of documents in international traffic (in Slovene only)
The signature on a private or public document may be certified at diplomatic missions and consular posts. The certification does not verify the contents of the document.
Translators for the Slovenian language
List of translators for the Slovenian language
The Embassy does not guarantee the quality of the translation and is in no way connected to the persons/companies on the list.
Elections and referendums
Information on voting from abroad is available on the website of the State Election Commission.
General information on voting rights can be found on page Elections and referendums.
Obtaining a qualified digital certificate SIGEN-CA
The SIGEN-CA qualified digital certificate for natural persons may be issued to persons over 15 years of age who have a Slovenian tax number and PIN. The digital certificate is valid for five years.
An authorised representative with a certified authorisation may submit an application on behalf of a disabled person. Slovenians abroad may apply for a digital certificate for citizens abroad at a diplomatic mission or consular post.
More information about the certificate is available at the website of the National Trust Service Centre SI-TRUST.
* All of the translations contained on this website are unofficial. Only the original Slovene texts of the laws and regulations have legal effect, and the translations are to be used solely as reference materials to aid in the understanding of Slovene laws and regulations. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of the translations provided on this website, or for any consequence resulting from the use of information on this website. For all purposes of interpreting and applying law to any legal issue or dispute, users should consult the original Slovene texts published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.
Related content
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About Slovenia
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Citizenship, documents, registers
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Elections and referendums
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Immigration to Slovenia
Entry and residence in the Republic of Slovenia is possible with valid documents and a residence permit. Slovenia also offers international protection and integration of foreigners into the Slovenian society.
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Labour migration
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Taxes, customs duties and other charges